Posts Tagged ‘holidays’
Using Music to Cope with Grief During the Holidays
My #1 Musical Resource for Christmas
If you are someone who wants to start singing again, who wants to make music together with family and friends, or who just wants a ready reference for lyrics to some of those old Christmas favorites, I have got the perfect resource for you. It’s The Easy Christmas Fake Book. I picked this book up…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “The Caissons Go Rolling Along/The Army Goes Rolling Along”
Help Seniors Write a Song for Labor Day
Song Spotlight: “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”
Mood: Silly Themes: Swimming, Summer, Trips to the Beach, Wardrobe Selection Tempo: Walking speed Genre/style: 1960s Novelty song Ahhh, summertime. For many people, the hot days of July go hand in hand with trips to the beach (or, here in Kansas City, the swimming pool). This is certainly true for many of my younger music therapy clients. Perhaps…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine”
Mood: Wistful, Thoughtful Themes: Parenting, Mistakes, Forgiveness/Atonement Tempo: Moderate Genre/style: Country With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, I wanted to share my favorite song for this holiday. “That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine” was a song I learned in my first year as a music therapist on the special request of a client in hospice care. It…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “Que Sera Sera”
Mood: Carefree Themes: Parenting, Advice, Anticipating the Future Tempo: Easy waltz Genre/style: 1950s popular Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday, so I wanted to share with you one of my favorite songs for encouraging discussion about mothers and motherly advice: “Que Sera, Sera.” Made famous by the inimitable Doris Day (see her version on YouTube…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose”
Mood: Light Themes: Romance, Flowers Tempo: Medium Genre/Style: Vaudeville, 1920s Spring has arrived here in the Midwest, and I have enjoyed spotting tulips blooming around the city. In introducing spring-themed songs in one of my groups last week, one of the nursing staff said she had never heard the song
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “That Tumbledown Shack in Athlone”
Every so often, I get to work with a client in music therapy who really challenges me to learn new music. I can credit specific individuals with getting me to beef up my repertoire in western songs, Filipino and Russian folk songs, songs in Yiddish, and songs performed by Bing Crosby and Patsy Cline, among…
Read MoreSong spotlight: “Home on the Range”
Today is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the state of Kansas, and having been born and raised in several towns and cities in this state, I am pretty excited to be celebrating the sesquicentennial! In honor of this momentous occasion, I wanted to spotlight a favorite song of many folks, Kansans and non-Kansans…
Read More